A Moment of Clarity
by Turk 4 Life
Summary: Tifa Lockheart was tired of waiting for her happy ending. Gathering strength from an unlikely, blossoming romance, she finally begins to shape her own story. Meanwhile, Cloud's fear of failure sends him drifting further into a state of helplessness, and there's not a thing anyone can do to help.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N; It's been a while FF7 fandom! I have finally developed the courage and confidence to write a story that has my favourite FF character of all time in it: RENO! :D Although he doesn't make an appearance in this first chapter... I assure you he's a major part of the plot! I'm experimenting with the Angst/Romance genre. I'm not exactly a romantic person so... this could all just end up being Angst. I hope you guys enjoy it- silent readers and reviewing readers alike! I really enjoy writing this story so I hope you guys enjoy reading it!**

**00| Separate Ways**

"I'm not good at this."

Silence permeated the air around the two living bodies strategically placed in the dark, musky room. There was nothing natural about the way they both held themselves upright as they engaged in mediocre dialogue. Tifa stifled a disappointed laugh. Conversations with Cloud Strife were always mediocre at best.

The placid young man tensed as he observed his childhood friend grow impatient. Her negative affect was the result of many types of stress that had culminated over the past few years, slowly slipping out in small cascades weeks at a time. This had gone on for at least half a year now. Denzel and Marlene were staying with Barret Wallace temporarily. _'Can't have the kiddies living in this shit hole; no offence Spikey.' _Cloud had understood the older man's reasoning, but that didn't make the situation easier on Tifa.

Two months. It had been two months since he saw the martial artist have any interest in how the kids were holding up.

Two months since she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. At least in Cloud's eyes, it seemed like more of a catastrophe and not just a mistake.

"Jesus Cloud, I'm running late!" Tifa's loud voice reverberated around the Seventh Heaven, making Cloud flinch slightly. He felt intimidated but he hoped that she didn't notice the slight crease of his eyebrows as he fought the urge to barrel out of the door and let Fenrir's comforting engine lull him into peaceful oblivion.

He glanced at his best friend's tense frame and let out a quiet sigh. He didn't even know if he could call Tifa his best friend. Their relationship at that very moment was nothing short of being classified under what Cloud coined as a 'friendly enemy'.

"Just… just hear me out Teef," He watched as Tifa winced at the affectionate nick name. Cloud himself was surprised to hear it uttered from his lips. He hadn't called her by that name since… _he_ showed up. Gulping down his anxiety, Cloud balled his hands into fists and continued, "I'm not comfortable with the idea of you with _him_." Tifa took the opportunity to scoff at Cloud's cowardly statement.

"Who I chose to spend my time and intimacies with is none of your concern." She turned away from Cloud's tense form. Stepping towards the exit, her black stiletto heels stabbed loudly into the dusty floorboards. Adjusting her coat around her lightly clothed figure, she shot a look at the man who stood in the middle of the empty bar.

"I'd appreciate it if you could just leave me alone from now on… and please, just stop calling me by _that_ name." The corner of Cloud's lip twitched as he fought back a bitter smile.

"Sorry for the memories." Tifa wrenched the door open and sent one last glare at her childhood friend. Her eyes portrayed hurt, betrayal, anger… and something unexplainable. She cleared her throat and stepped out into the chilly evening air.

Cloud's fists were balled tightly by his sides as he turned away from the hostile woman. The door creaked shut, a loud reminder of her last farewell.

But even then, he did a double take as he heard his old best friend's soft, chiding tone before the door had sealed shut behind her.

"Thank you… for caring."

**Note: R&R guys! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N; Ah, tough crowd. Not to worry, I will continue to post this story for the silent readers hehe! So this is where it all begins- enjoy!**

**01| A Shoulder to Lean On**

_*Two Months Ago*_

The day had started off as normal as the days preceding it had. Marlene and Denzel rushed down the stairs, their respective back packs in tow, loudly chattering about the unfolding events of the young day.

"We're getting our math grades back today!" Marlene happily climbed onto a stool and perched herself up proudly before her bowl of cereal. Tifa smiled encouragingly at the young brunette.

"That's great news dear! I'm sure you blew it away, as usual." Denzel cringed at the idea of Marlene's academic prowess. The martial artists placed a glass of orange juice before the blue-eyed boy and offered a sympathetic smile to her adopted son. "You ready for your trip to the petting zoo?" Denzel's eyes lit up, but his arms remained slack.

"I guess so. It's going to be _so_ boring. I can't believe we have to go! We're, like, thirteen and all!" Despite his outward complaining, he quickly drained his juice and ripped into his jam and toast, wolfing it down in record speed before hopping off his stool and grabbing his lunch from the counter.

Throwing his arms around Tifa and pinching Marlene's arm (much to her displeasure), the teenager stormed out of the door with a grin on his face. A soft chuckle was heard from the stairs as Cloud plodded down in his black combat ensemble. Shoving the keys to Fenrir into his pocket, he received a hug from Marlene and offered Tifa a gentle smile.

"He's eager." Tifa giggled and nodded, agreeing with her best friend.

"Yup, but let's not tell him we figured him out just yet." She winked at Marlene before efficiently sweeping up the used dishes and rinsing them swiftly, placing them into a dishwasher like clockwork. Cloud watched, amazed that she could move so quickly and efficiently like she had complete command over everything that happened within the Seventh Heaven.

Tifa stilled as she felt Cloud's gaze upon her working body. Shakily placing the last glass into the dishwasher, she set the washing mode and busied herself with wiping down the sink. Any old mundane task seemed better than addressing the effects of her school girl crush on Cloud Strife. She'd been living with him on and off for about six years. She was still on the verge of a mental breakdown every time she saw him walk down those steps. And the times that he didn't… it took every fibre within her being to stop her from falling into a full-blown panic attack.

"Maybe I just have abandonment issues…" Tifa muttered quietly to herself as she rubbed the counter vigorously. As she worked, she felt a slight pressure encircle her lower waist. Letting go of the washing rag, Tifa smoothed down Marlene's neat hair and offered a gentle smile, momentarily forgetting that Cloud was still watching her. "Have fun at school today! Cloud will be by to pick you up at four so stay put." Tifa added with a warning tone. The streets of Edge were relatively safe, but every once in a while a stray fiend wandered into the city and wreaked havoc on all the civilians out in the public. Tifa wasn't willing to take any chances.

"Alright Tifa, see you Cloud!" Marlene waved the two adults off before rushing out the door and towards the bus stop just meters away. Tifa began to feel a rush of anxiety overtake her senses as she became aware that it was only Cloud and herself.

Alone. In a bar.

Tifa laughed quietly at the thought. She made the circumstance seem so much seedier than it actually was. The bar was closed for the morning and Cloud was… Cloud.

Sweet, reliable, anti-social Cloud.

She sighed, letting her shoulders slouch into a protective posture. Everything was clean and the dishwasher cycle was well under way. There was nothing left to do but turn around and smile at her childhood friend.

Cloud offered a small smile in return as he scrolled through his voicemail on his cell phone. Tifa suppressed a chuckle at Cloud's enduring inability to receive calls from their friends and his clients. Some things never changed.

She approached the counter and leaned her forearms against the clean, marble surface, tilting her head in silent question.

"Is everything okay?" Cloud looked up, reading Tifa's wine coloured eyes. He knew that she wasn't just asking about his phone. Every morning since the geostigma epidemic had died down for good, Tifa started off their conversations with the same question. And every day Cloud would reply with a curt nod. Tifa nodded in return and rubbed at a feint stain on the counter, avoiding eye contact with the man before her.

"I heard you… last night." Cloud's tired eyes glanced up at Tifa, he suddenly felt nervous. He always felt nervous when she began to talk about him. It was as if he couldn't escape from being the freak he was. He couldn't ignore the past- not in his dreams and not in waking life. He wanted to tell Tifa to just let it go but he was afraid of hurting her feelings. He knew that she was only trying to help.

So he let her continue with a barely visible nod of his head.

"You can talk to me about anything, you know? I'm here to listen." Tifa took a deep breath as she mustered up the courage to look in Cloud's general direction. "I always will be."

Cloud set down his mug of coffee and sighed, reaching a gloved hand up to comb through his unruly blonde spikes.

"There's nothing to talk about." His voice was quiet; unsure.

"But Cloud, I-"

"I said I'm fine Teef." And with that, the conversation died down. Tifa nodded, mostly to herself as she heaved herself up from her place on the counter and made her way towards the stairs. She heard Cloud release a breath, the chair legs scraped gently at the wooden floorboards as he gathered his dishes and placed them quietly into the sink.

Sparing one last glance at her best friend, she noticed how his down cast eyes remained unfocused as he walked towards the front door.

* * *

"He's just being a miserable excuse of a man; as usual." Tifa rolled her eyes as she prepared for opening time at the Seventh Heaven. Marlene and Denzel were already home from school and the chocobo farm. Cloud had left as soon as he set Marlene onto the pavement in front of the bar.

Tifa frowned as she recollected his unfocused gaze from earlier in the day. A glass slammed down purposefully awoke her from her reverie as she refocused her attention on her young, energetic friend from Wutai.

"Teef, I'm telling you! Spikey's not going to transform into a laughing, dancing hunk of a man. Not after all the shit he's been through." Tifa glared pointedly at Yuffie, glancing quickly at the two children sitting further down the counter, their faces scrunched up in concentration as they completed the day's homework. Yuffie winced, apologetic.

The martial artist sighed and ran a hand through her silky black locks. Sitting upright, the Wutainese woman sipped at her tea and demurely brought her cup back down to the counter. Tifa inwardly winced at the formal take on her usually clumsy and boyish friend. Being the princess of a nation obviously had its responsibilities.

"What am I supposed to do then? I feel like I'm just standing around and watching, waiting for something to happen to him." Yuffie growled in annoyance, pushing her cup away.

"You're waiting for something. Not for him, that I am sure of, but you're waiting for something to happen to you." Tifa shook her head, disagreeing with the spunky ninja seated before her.

She payed no attention to the first customer of the evening who had just moseyed into the bar, obnoxiously pulling out a stool away from the two women talking.

"You're drunk, Yuffie."

Yuffie's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Tifa that was tea you gave me." The martial artist glanced briefly at Yuffie's abandoned cup.

"I guess you must have had pre-drinks then." She turned away from the ninja and placed the used cup into the dishwasher. The harsh sound of a stool screeching on her mopped floorboards caught her attention as she spun around to see a peeved Yuffie glaring in her direction.

"I'm not drunk! And you're just avoiding the truth." Tifa turned away, catching a glimpse of a familiar shade of red hair. She moved away from Yuffie who let out a loud, exasperated sigh and mumbled quietly to herself, "I'll just be with the kids then." Tifa smiled despite their tense conversation.

She grabbed a shot glass and filled it with the strongest gin she had before placing it softly onto the counter before the red-haired man.

"Tough day?" He looked up at the sound of her voice and grinned devilishly up at her.

"You know it, babe." He whisked the shot glass off the counter and gulped it down, his face cringing at the hard alcohol sliding down his throat. "Damn," he said, staring up at Tifa, "That's some nasty shit."

She nodded, bring the bottle of gin out and pouring in some more. She offered a sympathetic smile to the Turk.

"It's the stuff that helps one forget." He tossed his head back and laughed loudly, startling Tifa slightly. She scrunched up her eyebrows as she studied the name sitting down in front of her. Despite the mirth in his eyes, she could tell there was something bothering him. "Reno?"

He stopped laughing and glanced up, his tired eyes boring into Tifa's.

"What's up?"

"There's something wrong, isn't there?" Reno sighed and slammed the shot glass down onto the counter, grimacing at the burn he felt slide down his throat. Looking up at Tifa, he managed a grin at the woman.

"Has there ever been a time where things have been right babe?" Tifa frowned. She disliked Reno's flirty names for her. They always put Cloud on edge. She frowned at the thought. Why did she care so much about what Cloud thought? Tuning her attention back to the red-haired man before her, she smiled apologetically and re-filled his shot glass.

"I guess you have a point," the martial artist leaned over the counter, placing her hand on Reno's bicep in a comforting gesture. "Just know that I'm always here if you need to talk." Reno met Tifa's eyes and shot her a small and genuine smile- which was rare for the egotistical Turk.

"Thanks babe." Tifa rolled her eyes and pulled away, smacking Reno lightly in the process.

"Stop calling me 'babe'!" Downing the shot, the man pulled away from the bar, chuckling as he made his way towards the exit.

"Whatever! See you _sexy_." Tifa blushed violently as the man left with a roguish wink thrown her direction. She came out of her dazed state at the sound of a violent, hacking couch from the other side of the room. Fixing her expression into a glare, Tifa turned to meet the gaze of a sceptical Yuffie Kisaragi.

"I really hate the guy but… he seems good for you." The martial artists immediately gaped at the younger woman, completely caught off-guard.

"Excuse me?" Yuffie rolled her eyes and walked towards Tifa, taking the older woman by the shoulders and shaking her softly.

"He's totally into you Teef! Take a chance and go along with it." Yuffie narrowed her eyes at the sound of Cloud's motorcycle which had seemingly just pulled into the garage. "As it is, Cloud is a lost cause." Tifa broke away from Yuffie's hold, the younger woman's words gashing through her like a blunt knife. The reality of her words hurt Tifa. It was true, not matter how much she tried to deny it. Cloud would always stay a mystery to her. Something she could never truly have.

Groaning in annoyance, Yuffie turned away from the older woman and said her goodbyes to Marlene and Denzel before stalking off towards the exit, shooting Cloud a menacing glare before leaving the bar. Cloud followed Yuffie's retreating figure for a few moments before sighing, pulling off his leather gloves and placing his helmet onto a small table just beside the door.

"Hey Cloud!" Denzel greeted Cloud with a huge grin on his face. Cloud managed to smile back at the boy who idolised him. A boy he would eventually let down… Cloud suppressed the depressing thoughts, mentally scolding himself as he allowed Marlene to greet him with a hug.

"Cloud, Cloud! Yuffie helped me finish my homework! She told me to tell you to check the answers if you could manage to get your head out of the dark maze you call your mind." Marlene frowned at her dictation of Yuffie's strange words. "What does she mean by that?" Cloud sighed, placing a hand atop Marlene's head as he led her towards Denzel's seat at the counter.

Cloud briefly glanced up to greet Tifa, surprised when she ignored his presence completely. Frowning, Cloud took a breath in.

"Tifa?" The martial artist turned around, her eyes void of their usual happiness to see him. Cloud took in his best friend's expression, attempting to rationalise with himself. Maybe she was just having a tough day. Maybe she was finally sick of his crap.

Cloud sighed and raised his hand up to wave. His awkward actions resulted in a small smile taking over Tifa's facial features. Cloud noted the small amount of light that returned back to her gaze with relief.

"Hey Cloud." The tight feeling in his chest dissipated as he replied back as enthusiastically as he could.

"Did the Turks stop by while I was gone? I needed to talk to Tseng about a delivery." Tifa shook her head, an uncertain glint in her eyes.

Marlene and Denzel exchanged a look but remained quiet.

"No," Tifa took a deep breath as she turned away from Cloud, placing the used shot glass into the sink before smiling at her best friend. "None of the Turks came in today." Cloud nodded, oblivious as he took a seat beside Marlene, getting to work on checking the young girl's mathematics homework.

Tifa's gaze lingered on her best friend momentarily before she quickly washed the shot glass, erasing the evidence and guilt she held of Reno's visit to the bar that night.

**Note: R&R please! :)**


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